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Erythronium citrinum

citrus fawn lily, cream fawn lily, lemon color fawn lily, lemon fawn lily, pale fawn-lily

California fawn-lily

Bulbs

slender, 40–50 mm, sometimes producing sessile offsets.

ovoid, 35–60 mm, sometimes producing sessile offsets.

Leaves

9–15 cm;

blade mottled with irregular streaks of brown or white, lanceolate to narrowly ovate, margins ± wavy.

7–18 cm;

blade distinctly mottled with irregular streaks of brown or white, oblong to narrowly ovate, margins usually wavy.

Scape

12–35 cm.

± reddish, branched well above leaves when flowers more than 1, 10–30 cm.

Inflorescences

1–3-flowered.

1–3-flowered.

Flowers

tepals ± white, often pinkish, usually pale yellow at base, lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, 25–45 mm, inner with or without small auricles at base;

stamens 11–17 mm;

filaments linear, white or pinkish, slender, less than 0.8 mm wide;

anthers white, cream, pink, reddish, or brownish red;

style straight, white or pink, 6–10 mm;

stigma unlobed or with lobes shorter than 1 mm.

flowering individuals generally abundant in populations;

tepals white to cream, base yellow and often banded with brown or red, ± narrowly ovate, 25–40 mm, inner with small auricles at base;

stamens 12–25 mm;

filaments ± white, linear, slender, less than 0.8 mm wide;

anthers white to cream;

style ± white, 10–14 mm;

stigma unlobed or with lobes less than 2 mm.

Capsules

obovoid, 2–5 cm.

obovoid, 3–6 cm.

2n

= 24.

= 24.

Erythronium citrinum

Erythronium californicum

Phenology Flowering spring (Mar–May). Flowering spring (Mar–Apr).
Habitat Dry woods, brushy slopes, common on serpentine substrates Dry woods, openings, cliffs
Elevation 100–1300 (–1800) m (300–4300 (–5900) ft) 0–1900 m (0–6200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Plants lacking auricles on inner tepals are sometimes segregated as Erythronium howellii, Howell’s fawn-lily, but they do not appear to differ from typical E. citrinum in any other characters. Erythronium citrinum intergrades with E. californicum and E. hendersonii, occasional populations or individuals displaying intermediate or recombined characteristics. Such plants from the upper Scott River drainage in Trinity County, California, which may be the result of introgression with E. hendersonii, have been recognized as variety roderickii.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Forms intermediate with Erythronium citrinum and E. multiscapideum are sometimes seen where ranges overlap.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 160. FNA vol. 26, p. 160.
Parent taxa Liliaceae > Erythronium Liliaceae > Erythronium
Sibling taxa
E. albidum, E. americanum, E. californicum, E. elegans, E. grandiflorum, E. helenae, E. hendersonii, E. klamathense, E. mesochoreum, E. montanum, E. multiscapideum, E. oregonum, E. pluriflorum, E. propullans, E. purpurascens, E. pusaterii, E. quinaultense, E. revolutum, E. rostratum, E. taylorii, E. tuolumnense, E. umbilicatum
E. albidum, E. americanum, E. citrinum, E. elegans, E. grandiflorum, E. helenae, E. hendersonii, E. klamathense, E. mesochoreum, E. montanum, E. multiscapideum, E. oregonum, E. pluriflorum, E. propullans, E. purpurascens, E. pusaterii, E. quinaultense, E. revolutum, E. rostratum, E. taylorii, E. tuolumnense, E. umbilicatum
Synonyms E. citrinum var. roderickii, E. howellii
Name authority S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 22: 480. (1887) Purdy: Fl. & Sylva 2: 253. (1904)
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